To get the motion activity you’ll need a DTH that supports it:
[RELEASE] GE Motion Switch (26931) and Motion Dimmer (26933) - Devices & Integrations / Community Created Device Types - SmartThings Community
I don’t THINK load is required - but… I’ve never seen one installed in that manner. That said, you SHOULD see motion events no matter how the device is configured (occupancy etc.)
One last thing - this is a custom DTH. That means the device will NOT be eligible for local automation.